Apple, Publishers Pushing Back Against DOJ Ebook Charges
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Apple, Penguin and Macmillan are not backing down from a DOJ suit that accuses them of colluding to keep ebook prices high. Apple's agency model keeps the market competitive, say the publishers.
Apple is calling the U.S. Department of Justices accusation that it colluded with a number of publishers to keep ebook prices high and Amazon.com in check simply not true. The companys statement comes days after federal prosecutors leveled charges against Apple and five book publishers concerning ebook pricing and whether these companies conspired to keep prices high at a cost to consumers.
Apple spokesperson Tom Neumayr said in a statement that the 2010 launch of Apple iBookstore fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazons monopolistic grip on the publishing industry.
Since then, Neumayr added, customers have benefitted from ebooks that are more interactive and engaging. Just as weve allowed developers to set prices on the App Store, publishers set prices on the iBookstore.
The DOJs Antitrust Division filed a lawsuit against Apple and five of the nations largest book publishers, Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Penguin. Attorney General Eric Holder, in an April 11 press statement, called it progress in protecting American consumers from anti-competitive harm, ensuring fairness in the marketplace and making certain that cutting-edge technologies are available at the lowest possible price.
